1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a device and method for securing a pliable material, such as a golf towel, to a structure, such as a golf bag, and, more particularly, relates to such a device and method which secures a pliable material by wedging the pliable material between an object and a bore hole shaped substantially like the object.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are many instances in which it is desirable to secure a pliable material, such as a cloth or sheet, with a rigid structure. A typical practice for securing such a pliable material with a rigid structure has been to incorporate a fitting, such as a grommet, with or in the pliable material. The fitting has been chosen in the past to particularly conform to an accepting protrusion or catch of the rigid structure. By connecting the fitting incorporated with the pliable material with the protrusion or catch, the connection secures the pliable material with the rigid structure, at least to the extent that the pliable material, the fitting and/or the rigid structure are sufficiently strong to withstand forces which may be applied to the pliable material.
Another typical practice employed in some instances has been to attach a pliable material directly with a rigid structure to secure the pliable material with the structure. In those instances, a tack to the rigid structure or a protrusion from the rigid structure may pass through the pliable material directly, not within a fitting thereof. The tack or protrusion through the pliable material then itself maintains the attachment of the pliable material with the structure.
In each of these typical practices, the attachment strength of the pliable material to the rigid structure will vary depending upon the pliable material strength and the particular mechanism employed for the attachment. The pliable material strength may vary in any instance depending upon a number of factors. Those factors may include the overall shear strength of the pliable material. Alternatively or additionally, if the pliable material is a fibrous weave, e.g., a towel or other cloth, the attachment strength of the pliable material with the rigid structure may depend both upon the shear strength of the fibers and upon the separation strength of the particular weave of the fibers. That shear strength and separation strength may itself depend upon a number of factors, including, for example, the particular fiber material forming the weave, the age and condition of the particular material of the weave, the environmental conditions to which the material is and has been subjected, and numerous other factors characteristic of the pliable material or the application.
In the situation in which a pliable material is incorporated with a fitting, the fitting may tear from the pliable material when excessive force tears the pliable material from the rigid structure. When no fitting is incorporated in the pliable material, the pliable material may tear from a protrusion or tack, or even because of the protrusion or tack, of the rigid structure when an excessive force is applied to the pliable material directed away from the structure. In each event, the strength of the attachment will depend upon the shear and separation strength of the particular arrangement and the materials and application involved.
The present invention overcomes problems of the prior art attachment methods and apparatus. The invention does so by providing devices and methods which may more evenly distribute along a pliable material any forces that would otherwise yield shear and separation tears of the material. The invention also overcomes the prior problems because the stress points along the pliable material at which shear and separation forces may be directed because of the attachment may be located at varying select locations of the pliable material by varying the attachment point. As hereinafter fully described, the present invention provides significant advantages in these respects as well as others.
A particularly suitable application of the present invention is in the attachment of a golf towel to a golf club bag. Previously, golfers have been known to desire a towel or other cloth material of approximately the size of a hand towel at various times while playing a round of golf. Players may use such towel or cloth to dry their hands, to rough up grips of golf clubs, to polish dirt or grime from wood or iron golf club heads, to dry the players brow, and for many other purposes. As might be expected, a golfer is apt to lose a towel during a round of play if the towel is not in some manner secured with the player or with matters carried by the player which are not easily lost. Thus, a practice employed by golfers has been to attach a golf towel to a golf bag which is carried by a player for containing golf clubs and other accessories.
A golfer may employ a variety of means and mechanisms to attach a towel to a golf club bag or other golfing accessory carried by the golfer during play. In the prior technology, players have typically either attached a towel directly with a protrusion or appendage of a golf bag or other rigid structure carried by the golfer, or they have incorporated a towel with a fitting, such as, for example, a grommet, which fits on such a protrusion or appendage. In each instance, the towel may be subjected to various forces. For example, a player may pull on the towel attached to the bag when drying the player's hands. Also, the towel may catch on a ridge or edge when the golf bag is being transported, thereby pulling the towel at its attachment to the bag. Numerous other possibilities and situations arise.
In all these possibilities and situations, the golf towel is subject to tearing either from the fitting becoming separated from the towel or, where no fitting, by the towel becoming separated from the protrusion or appendage of the rigid structure. That tearing of the towel can result because of forces applied to the towel directed away from the bag attachment which exceeds the shear strength of the towel fibers and/or the separation strength of the particular weave. Given that certain golf towels may be pricey and often are treasured mementos of players, golfers generally wish to retain towels without tearing, rather than have towels tear and become lost when pulled from securement with the golfer or the golfer's appurtenances.
As is well apparent, it would be an improvement in the art to provide a golf towel and/or attachment mechanisms for such a towel that would reduce the chances of tear and separation from attachment with a golf bag or other golfing accessory carried by the golfer. Such an improvement, if suitable for use in all instances of golf towels, whether or not the towels are incorporated with specialized fittings (such as, for example, grommets) or other special mechanisms or means for attachment, would be valuable to golfers and would provide many advantages which are not realized with present golf towels and related retention and attachment equipment.
The present invention overcomes the problems of limited shear and separation strength of pliable materials, such as golf towels, and resulting tear and separation from attachment thereof, by presenting a new and improved apparatus and method for attaching a pliable material to a rigid structure. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the invention is particularly applicable and suitable in the case of a golf towel to be secured with a golf bag or other structure maintained by and with a golfer during play. The invention, however, is not limited to such applications and has many additional advantages and applications in and to any circumstance in which a pliable material is affixed with a more rigid structure, wherein a sufficient strength of such affixation is important and desirable. Therefore, though the background of the invention herein has been described, in part, with respect to application to a golf towel and golf bag, the invention has other and varied applications and use, all of which will be hereinafter more fully apparent.